Uncoupling mechanism



I. H. MILLIKEN AND W. I. REGAN.

v UNCOUPLING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED on. 6', 1921.

1,417,543. Patented May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Inf/76w 'l- H. MlLLiKEN AND W. J. REGAN.

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM- APPLICATION FILED ocr. e. 1921.

Patented May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HHHHHHW 4 r s N I IsAAc-H. MILLIK'EN, or AsP'INWALL, ANn WIL IAM J.REGAN, or PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO 'JTHE. McCONWAY -& wont-Er GOMPANY, 2 on APITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, 'ACOR-PORATION or PENNSYLVANIA;

UNCGUPLING MECHANlSM.

nism; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

Our invention relates to uncoupling mechanism for actuating the lock ofa car coupler. WVhile' it is especially designed to afford uncouplingmeans well suited forapplication to the Master Car Builders standard'D-type coupler employing a bottom operated lock, the invention may beembodied in uncoupling mechanism applicable to other forms of couplersas well.

The primary object of the invention is to provide efficient, reliableand easily oper ated un'coupling'mechanism consisting of a few simpleand compactly arranged parts.

The principal feature-of the invention, generally stated, consists inactuating the lock of the coupler by means of a rotatable memberwhichhas a floating center of rotation and which slidably engages-meansfor causing it to perform an unlocking rotation.

Another feature of the invention consists in moving the coup'ler'lock tounlocked position by means of arotatable member which is'caused toperform an unlocking'rotation by an actuating device'pivotally connectedto a swinging support atthe center of rota tion of said rotatablemember.

As will hereinafterappear, there are ni ther features of the inventionresiding in. elemental details of construction andin particularcombinations. 1 i v In the drawings illustrating theinvention, the scopewhereof is pointed out in the claims,

' Figure 1 is a View, partly in side eleva tion and partly in section,of an uncoupling mechanism embodying the invention, the car couplershown being of the Master Car Builders Dtype. Figure "2 is a view,partlyin side elevation well known Specification of Letters latcnt.

App'hcation filed October 6,1921. Seria1'l\T0. 505,69O. i

' to perform an Mammy so, 1922,

and'partly in vertical sectiomof a, portion of the constructionillustrated in .F 1," the i H parts being shown in thepositions they as-V s-ume when the coupler lock has been caused extended unlockingfm'ovement.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional lview on the line 3+3, Fig.1,portionso'f'the uncoupling i levers and of the coupler-audits carrieriron being'broken away.

Figures is a detail view, partly'in plan and partly in "horizontalsection, of a porparts of the uncoution'of the mechanism, 'pllng leversbelng broken away.

, F1gure5 a detail view of the. Inechanism partly 1n vertlcalsection'andpartly in rearend elevation, a portion of the swingingsupporting-meansand portions of the uncoupling levers being broken away.

The car coupler l shownin the clrawings is of'the well known Master CarBuilders D-type. alink 3-which-extends downwardly through thecouplerhead and is pivotally connected at its'lower end to a u"hichisitself pivotally mounted upon the under side of the head of thecoupler} The link 3 and pivoted liftleve'r 4; preferably are Its'lock '2is movably connectedto' swinging lift lever a constructed in accordancewith the standard practice of the botto mlock lift devices of the iD-coupler.

"If a wide range oflateral'swinging movement of the coupler is to be"provideclfor its shank may be formed near-its rear end with a pivot pinopenlng 5 adapted to receive'a tail pin (not shown) for pivotallyconnecting the'coupler to the draft "rigging in a well -known manner.

The swinging lift lever tfisa dapte d'to :2

actuated to cause an unlocking movement of'th'e lock 2 by means 'ofaverticallyjrd tatable member 6 whichisprefera-bly con? nectedinterlockingly to said .liftlever by 'a hook and eye connection, theforward end of saidrotatablememberbeing for this purpose provided with ahook Twhich' cooper ateswith'the usual eye 8 'at'therearend of y thepivoted lift lever. Therotatablelnember 6 may be convenientlyformed froma simple bar. It is adapted 'to be operated by'a member 9swingingly"supported by a linklOto which it is pivotally connected atthe center of rotation of the rotatable member 6. This mode ofsupporting the member 9 permits ed to cooperate with an eye 13 formed inthe actuating member 9, and the upper hook 12 being adapted to bookthrough a transversely elongated eye 14; formed on a coupler saddle 15,that is slidably supported on the coupler carrier iron 16 so as to bemoved transversely of the car when the coupler 1 swings laterally. Wherethe coupler is intended to have a very wide range of lateral swing itmay be advantageous to provide for the necessary lateral movement of theswinging support 10 by employing the transversely movable coupler saddle15, as shown, rather than to support the link member 10 directly fromthe coupler carrier iron.

Rearwardly of the coupler lock2 the vertically rotatable member 6extends through an aperture 17 formed in the swinging mem-' her 9 bywhich said rotatable member is caused to perform an unlocking movement.The actuating member 9 and the rotatable member slidably engage eachother so that the latter may shift back and forth in response to draftand buffing movements of the coupler. In advanceof the point of pivotalconnection of the actuating member 9 and the swinging support 10, whichpoint is the common center of rotation of the members 6 and 9 during theuncoupling operation, the said member 9 is provided with a lug portion18 extending under and adapted to engage the rotatable member 6, and tothe rear of said center of rotation the member 9 is also provided with aportion 19 that extends over and is adapted to engage the opposite sideof the rotatable member 0 lVhen the swinging member 9 is actuated. toeffect an uncoupling operation its portions 18 and 19 simultaneouslyengage the member 6 so as to apply thereto oppositely directed forcescompelling an unlocking rotation of the'latter.

An unlocking movement of the swinging actuating member 9 is preferablyeffected from the sides of the car by means of a plurality ofindependently operating uncoupling levers 20. These levers may be of thewell known form'illustrated in-the I. H. Milliken Patent No. 1,184,116,dated May 23 1916, except it is preferred that the bent inner ends 21 ofsaid levers shall extend downsides with angular openings 22 permittingparts.

tarmac swinging actuating member 9 is not required to move to so greatan extent in order to permit compensation for the various angularpositions which the rotatable member 6 may assume when the couplerswingslaterally.

In assembling the mechanismthe swinging link device 10 is turnedlaterally until it is at right angles to its normal position whentransversely of the car. By this means the its hook 12 may be hookedthrough the transversely elongated eye 141 of the coupler saddle 15. Themember 10 is then dropped to ordinary position, thereby becominginterlocked with the coupler saddleand thus preventing accidentaldisassociation of these The hook 7 of the rotatable member (3 is thenengaged with the eye 8 of the lift lever apivoted to the coupler head.The swinging actuating'member 9 is' associated with the rotatable member6 and is suspended from the member 10 by threading its eye 13 over thehooked lower end11 of the swinging support. The inner ends 21 of theuncoupling levers 20 are thereafter inserted. in the respective openingsof the actuating member 9, their outer endsbeing movably supported inbrackets at the sides of the car in the usual manner. As thus assembledthe several parts of the mechanism are interlocked so that theiraccidental disassociation is prevented. p

The rotatable member 6 may be c used-to performan unlocking operation byeither of the uncoupling levers 20.- When either of said levers isrotated in the proper direction its bent inner end .21 presses againstthe swinging actuating member 9 and-causes the latter to rotate, therebybringing its lug portions 18 and 19 into engagement with opposite sidesof the rotatable member 6 and compelling the latter to perform anunlocking movement. During the unlocking rotation of the member 6 andits actuating means 9 the supporting link 10 swings lengthwise of thecar as may be required to allow the forward end of the rotatablemem'ber6 readily to conform to the movement of the lift lever 41 throughthe intermediacy of which the coupler lock 2 is actuated.

We claim r v f 1. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combinat'ion with acarcoupler and itslock, of

means for movingsaid lock to unlocked position, said means involvingarotatable member operatively connected (to said lock, means foractuating said rotatable member, an uncoupling lever for operating saidactuating means and swinging meanspivotally connected to said actuatingmeans at the center of rotation of said rotatable member for supportingsaid-actuating means.

2. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler anditslock, of means formoving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a vertically rotatable member operatively connected tosaidlock, swinging means for actuating said rotatable member, anuncoupling lever for actuating said swinging means, and swingmg meanssupporting sald last named means at the center of rotationofsaidrotatable member,

3. In, an uncoupling mechanlsm, the

combination with acar coupler and its lock,

4. In an uncoupling mechanism, the com bination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving saidlock to'unlocked position, said meansinvolving a rotatable member operatively connected-t0 said lock,swinging means for actuating said rotatable member, an uncoupling leverfor causing r0- tation of said swinging means, and swinging means forsupporting said first named swing ing means atthe center of rotation ofsaid rotatable member.

5. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, anapertured member with which said rotatable member has slidableengagement and through which said rotatable member eX- tends, anuncoupling lever adapted to actuate said apertured member, and swingingmeans engaging and supporting said apertured member.

6. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a member pivotally connected to said coupler, a linkoperatively interposed between said pivotally connected member and saidlook, a vertically rotatable member movably engaging said pivotallyconnected member, an apertured member with which said rotatable memberhasdidable engagement and through which said rotatable member extends,an uncoupling lever adapted to actuate said apertured member, andswinging means engaging andv supporting said apertured memb r.

7. In an uncoupling mechanlsm, the comrotatable bination with nearcoupler and ts lock, of

means for'moving's'aid lock to unlocked-"position, said means involvinga rotatableniember operatively connected to said look, a swinging memberadapted to actuate said rotatable member, an uncouplinglever adapted toactuate said swinging member, and swinging means for supportingSa1Cl'SWll1g ing member,'said swinglng means and said swinging memberbeing movably connected at the center of rotation ofsaid rotatablemember, and said swinging member a'ndsaid member having slidable engagement." I 8. In anuncoupling mechanism, the combination with acarcouple'r and'its lock, of means form'ovingsaid lock to'unlockedposition, said means involving a rotatable member operatively'connectedto'said'lock and extending rearwardly"therefrom, rotatable 111631181 0]?actuating said rotatable member, said rotatable n1eanshaving a floatingcenter of rotation andoperatively engaging opposite sides of saidrotatable member,'and an uncoupling lever movably' connected to andadapted to actuate said rotatable means.

bination'with car coupler and its l'o'ck of means for movingsaid'lock'to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable memberoperatively connected to said lock and extending rearwardly therefrom,rotatablemeans fo'r'actuating said rotatable member, and an uncouplinglever movably connected to and adapted to actuate said rotatable means,said rotatable member having sliding engagement with said rotatablemeans, and said rotatable means having a floating center of rotation andbeing apertured to receive a portion of said rotatable member. i

10. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, saidmeansinvolving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock 9. Inanuncouplingmechanism,the comand extending rearwardly therefrom,rotatable means for actuating said rotatable member, an imcoupling leverfor actuating said rotatable means, and means adapted to swinglengthwise of the car for swingingly supporting said rotatable means,said rotatable means being adapted to actuate said rotatable member byengaging the latter both in advance and to the rear of the cen ter ofrotation of said rotatable means, and said uncoupling lever beingsupported at one end by said rotatablemeans.

11. In anuncoupling mechanism, the com- V bination with a car couplerand its lock, of means for moving sa d lock to unlocked position, saidmeans involvlng a rotatable memberoperatively connected to said lock andextending rearwardly therefrom, an.

apertured member through which saidrotatable member extends, meansadapted to swing lengthwise of the car for mo-vably supporting saidapertured member, and an uncouplmg lever for actuating said aperturedmember, said rotatable member having slidable engagement with saidapertured member, and said uncoupling lever and said swlngmg means beinglnterlockmgly, con nected to sald apertured memben V .12. In anuncoupling mechanism, the comfrom, means movable lengthwise of the car Ifor supporting said rotatable member rearwardlv of the lock and foractuating said rotatable member, an uncoupling lever adapted to actuatesaid supportingmeans, and swinging means engaging and mo vably connectedto said supporting means and to said carrier iron. v

I 18. In an uncoupling mechanism,the combination with a car coupler, itslock and car rier iron, of means for moving said lock to unlockedposition, said means involving a member mounted on said carrier iron andslidable transversely of the car, swinging rams 1s means interlockinglyconnected to said slidable member, a vertically rotatable memberoperatively connected to said lock and extending rea rward ly therefrom,means slid- 14. In an uncoupling mechanisimthe combination with carcoupler, its lock and carrier 1ron, of means for moving said lock tounlocked position, said means involving a rotatable member operativelyconnectedto said lock and extending rearwardly' there "from, anapertured member through which said rotatable member extends andwithinspect to which it is slidable, anuncoupling lever adapted toactuate said apertured member, and means adapted to swing in a pluralityof planes for movably connecting said apertured member to said carrieriron,

and said apertured member affording support forsaid uncouplinglever.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures. v t

isAAc n1 MILLIKEN. .WILLIAM J. REGAN.

